Let Love be Genuine
Let love be genuine is how Paul opens this section of Romans. Hold fast to what is good. He completes this section by encouraging us to overcome evil with good. In a culture that is enthralled with violence who do we accomplish this? How do we demonstrate love...
Prayer in Times of Crisis
Today the world is experiencing a variety of different crises. In British Columbia wildfires have been burning for weeks. Hurricane Harvey has dropped a deluge of rain on Texas. Within these and many other situations people are in dire need of help. In situations such...
True Worship
Worship can take a variety of forms. In his letter to the church in Rome, Paul writes about worship that is pleasing to God. His dialogue expands to include a discussion about what makes a community of faith distinct from the culture surrounding it. This passage...
Prayer for Letting Go
Gracious God, I ask your help in letting go: Of ideals, old habits and patterns that no longer serve me well. That limit my beliefs and hinder my abilities. May I remember that letting go Is a healthy reminder to rely on you. In letting go I learn joy and practice...
One Love
What could one woman teach Jesus about love? The answer might surprise us. Perhaps we should also ask what could one woman teach us about love or racial identity or segregation or discrimination? The story of the Canaanite Woman is powerful. It demonstrates the depth...
A Prayer from the Streets of Charlottesville
The events in Charlottesville, Virginia have brought forth many ugly memories. These events remind us that though we have come far, we still have much farther to travel. The prayer below is from Seminarian Lauren Grubaugh. You can find the original post here. To the...
Pull the Oar
Today's passage is simple enough. It isn't about pointing a finger at Peter and telling him to have a deeper faith. It isn't about us having a deeper or stronger faith than Peter demonstrates. Our passage this morning is about having the faith to keep going. To...
Preparing for Sunday: Walking on Water
It's a well known story. After feeding the five thousand Jesus spends some time alone. The disciples take a boat back across the lake. At some point Jesus gets up and heads towards the disciples, walking on water across the lake. At first they think they see a ghost,...
A Funeral Celebration
The Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes, the Feeding of the Five Thousand is a well known gospel story. So well known that we often get stuck on the loaves and fishes and the miracle that they represent. While we should not ignore this aspect of the reading or the...
Dr. Cindy Blackstock Addresses General Assembly
This past June the Presbyterian Church in Canada met at Queen's University in Kingston. Assembly was privileged to hear a message from Dr. Cindy Blackstock, Executive Director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada. As the recipient of the 2017...
St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church
St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Cobourg is part of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. The congregation was established in 1833 and continues to serve the community.